A building manager has been charged with conning flat owners in three Brighton and Hove blocks out of more than £162,000.
Daniel Skipp, 42, was appointed to manage the financial interests of 50 Marine Parade, 2 Devonshire Place and 21 Palmeira Square.
It’s alleged that between 31 October, 2022 and 1 October, 2024, he dishonestly abused that position in relation to all three blocks intending to make a financial gain.
He’s said to have conned £56,012.42 out of the Marine Parade block, £36,000 out of the Devonshire Place block and £70,00 out of the Palmeira Square block.
Skipp, of Hastings Road, Bexhill, appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court on 2 April charged with three counts of fraud by abuse of position.
He’s next due to appear at the same court in July. He was remanded on unconditional bail.
Well done to the flat owners for reporting the crime to the police. I hope they get the justice they deserve. Unfortunately, fraud by abuse of position is an ongoing problem with Property Management Companies. If the industry continues to be unregulated, Property Management Companies will continue to defraud leaseholders.
Unfortunately, this type of fraud is difficult to establish and prosecute. A lot of property management companies understand this and get away with lots of issues. Corrupt practices are rife including Chartered Surveyors and building companies and brown envelopes. Leasehold reform is long overdue.
Thank you to B and H news for reporting this.
Largely an under reported crime – it can go on undeterred because we don’t have the protection we are led to believe in.
The leasehold reforms do not mention protection of the Client Account. All agents have access to one big glorious pot of cash with interest officially syphoned off to their office account ( see in particular advertisements from Lloyds Bank actually offering this Client Account Service to managing agents )
Ann you have totally described the situation as it is. Section 156 of the 2002 Act mandated Agents to keep each block’s money in a separate account. For obvious reasons this was not brought in. Even in a separate account the leaseholders are not protected as we can see from this report. Recently reported here was the freezing of an agents’ account with more than a million pounds in it. The building industry is particularly prone to bribery and corruption hence there is special legislation to deal with it. Regulation of Agents will not deal with criminality. Transparency of accounts in real time such as some good agents offer is one of the best ways to control it .
– Shula Rich Brighton Hove and District Leaseholders’ Association – see leaseadvice.org. Our next drop in is 15/5 at Platform9 Hove.
this firm was not regulated by The Property Institute or RICS
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13606921/officers